Cylindrical and spherical shaped grills and smokers have traditionally been supported by a plurality of legs or a rigid square or rectangular frame.
Conventional grill support assemblies include U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,183 for a FLUID HEATER SYSTEM WITH TILT ABLE HEATER ASSEMBLY by Spilde et al. teaches a cart with a tillable heater assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 7,458,809 for a PORTABLE KILN by Hohenshelt et al. teaches a kiln with support feet and an attached hand truck. U.S. Patent Application No. 20130312732 for a GAS AND CERAMIC GRILL COMBINATION by Brennan teaches a portable frame which removably holds a Komada grill.
Ceramic “egg-shaped” cookers for outdoor cooking have become a popular alternative to ordinary barbeque grills. Ceramic cookers are similar in design to the kamado barbecue which originated in southern Japan. The mushikamado (Japanese for “steam cooker” from “mushi” meaning “to steam”, and “kamado” meaning “cooker, oven, or kiln”) was a device designed to steam rice and used by Japanese families for ceremonial occasions. The mushikamado took the shape of a round clay pot with a removable domed clay lid and featured a top damper and bottom draft door. The mushikamado first came to the attention of the Americans after World War II when US Air Force servicemen would bring them back from Japan in empty transport planes.
The “egg” like shape of the ceramic cookers reflect ancient technology and is designed to contain and control the heat with only a small vent at the top to create a draft to keep the fire going. Modern “egg-shaped” ceramic cookers are manufactured from high fiber ceramics developed for the space shuttle program specifically designed to reflect heat allowing a temperatures of up to 650° C., (1200° F.). The external surface has a high gloss ceramic glaze applied to provide crack and weather resistance. Consequently, the “egg-shaped” ceramic cooker is quite heavy. The “egg-shaped” ceramic cooker varies in size and weight from 39 pounds to about 220 pounds and therefore are difficult to move.
Ceramic cookers like ones discussed above are typically quite heavy and cumbersome or dangerous to move especially while in use or hot. Small frames are available which can hold the cooker upright on a stable flat surface, however, these frames are not easily portable, especially when the cooker is in the frame and more especially when the cooker is in use.